NEWS

RSU Public TV Honors Clem McSpadden

Rogers State University Public Television plans to honor the late Clem McSpadden by re-airing a 2007 interview with the Oklahoma icon.

The program will air at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 13 and at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16.

The half hour episode of "Perspectives: Sports Talk" features an in-depth interview with McSpadden hosted by Terrell Lester, sports editor of the Claremore Progress.

During the interview McSpadden, who died on Monday at age 82, talks about many things including life at Dog Iron Ranch, rodeos and his political career.

A great-nephew of Will Rogers, McSpadden was elected in 1954 to the Oklahoma Senate, where he served until 1972. He spent one term in the U.S. House of Representatives and founded McSpadden & Associates, a legislative consulting and lobbying firm, in 1983. He was also known for his work on the professional rodeo circuit.

"Like many in Oklahoma, we were saddened to learn about Clem's death. We believe rebroadcasting Clem's interview would help all of us to recall fond memories of this great friend, partner and local legend," said Dan Schiedel, RSU Public TV general manager. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the McSpadden family and it is our hope that this broadcast is a way of thanking them for sharing Clem's life with all of us."

The only full-powered public television station licensed to a university in Oklahoma, RSU Public Television provides educational, cultural and general interest programming to an audience of 1.2 million viewers in northeast Oklahoma. The station broadcasts at 2.55 million watts from its 850-foot tower via UHF Channel 35 and is carried on 76 cable systems, including Cox Cable channel 19 in Tulsa and Claremore. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.